


I Would Cry

by BrokenDoll



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Alternate Canon, Angst, Character Development, Cheating, Complicated Relationships, Confusion, F/M, Falling In Love, False Accusations, Infidelity, Love Triangles, My First Work in This Fandom, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rewrite, Sexual Tension, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-18
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-05 01:24:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1087946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenDoll/pseuds/BrokenDoll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything changed the day Tohru came home from school to find Kyou cheating. He wants nothing more than Tohru's forgiveness, but when he overhears her telling Yuki that she is pregnant, he flees in panic. Tohru's world falls apart when Kyou runs away, but luckily Yuki is there to help her pick up the pieces. She doesn't know who she is in love with anymore, but she does know that she must make a choice; even lies told out of fear can have disastrous results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hard Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> I found my old ff.net account and realized I'd started a story *cough*5yearsago*cough* that I had stopped due to study abroad and never finished. I decided to rewrite it, this time to full completion. Here is the result.

Tohru had spent the last hour mentally willing the school clock to tick faster. When it finally rang, she rushed out of her seat and started her walk to the Sohma residence at top speed. She was sure now, and with zero doubt in her mind it was critical that she talk to Kyou immediately. This would have been substantially quicker if he had attended school today; instead he had opted to sleep in and decided it wasn’t worth showing up at all if he was already going to be late. Then again, the news she had to share wasn’t something she could have told him at school; so perhaps it was for the better that she was forced to wait.

Having alternated between a hurried walk and a jog, Tohru reached the front door after what seemed like an eternity. She took a moment to catch her breath and smooth her ruffled skirt before entering the house. She knew this moment would be memorable and it had to be perfect. This was going to be the single most defining moment in both their lives since the curse had been broken. Ideally she would be wearing something other than her school uniform, but she couldn’t delay her announcement long enough to change; so it would have to do.

“Kyou-kun, I’m home!”

Haphazardly casting her bag aside, Tohru padded down the hallway in search of her lover. She wondered into the kitchen, assuming that he had heard her and would know where she could be found. She noshed on a plate of onigiri from the refrigerator, waiting patiently at the kitchen table.   
Several minutes passed, causing Tohru to wonder why Kyou still hadn’t made his presence known. He had to be home, but this was nothing like the other days where he had stayed home or arrived before her. The normal routine was for him to meet her at the door and sweep her into his arms. Tohru pouted slightly as she bit into the sour umeboshi center of the onigiri. She knew Kyou was probably in his room. It would be easy to go get him, but it would be lying to claim that she wasn’t disappointed in having to.

As she polished off the last of her afternoon snack and stood up from the kitchen table, she could’ve sworn she heard a moan in the distance. _‘That’s impossible’_ , Tohru shook her head and carried her plate toward the sink.  As she turned the faucet handle, even the sound of water rushing over the porcelain plate couldn’t mask the shouts in what was definitely Kyou’s voice. She dropped the plate, making a mad dash out of the kitchen and down the hallway.  Something was wrong, it had to be. The sounds emanating from his room were disturbingly reminiscent of the sounds he made as the made love.

When she arrived at Kyou’s door, Tohru pushed it open without a second though. This had to be some sort of misunderstanding, there must be an explanation and she had no reason to suspect it was anything other than innocent.

Tohru froze, shocked by the scene before her. Her eyes fixated on Kyou, and, more distressingly, the unfamiliar girl he was entangled with.  She had no idea how to respond. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t think, she couldn’t blink, she couldn’t even blink.

Having heard the door open, Kyou notices Tohru staring transfixed from the doorway. In a rush of panic, he rolled off of the stranger; ignoring her obvious displeasure as he grabbed blindly for his boxers on the floor beside the bed.

“Tohru… this isn’t what it looks like!” His exclamation roused Tohru from her shock induced stupor. She turned on her heels and tore down the hallway. She ran faster than she’d ever ran before, fighting back the tears that she desperately wanted to hide from Kyou. She couldn’t bear for him to see her cry. Unfortunately, he was much faster and it wasn’t long before he was right on her heels.

“Tohru, please stop. It wasn’t what it looked like, I swear!” He grabbed her by the shoulders to force her into stopping. She turned slightly, allowing him to see the wounded expression on her face. It took only an instant of looking into her eyes for Kyou to understand that he had just shattered everything between them. He tried to pull her closer and muster up some reason for his behavior. He just wanted to explain, if only he had an explanation. If only he could say something, anything, while looking into her pained eyes.  Before he had the chance to form a proper sentence, Tohru was once again running off towards the door. He wanted to run after, to make things right, but he knew that following now would only make thing even worse. What he truly wanted, more than anything, was to go back and change the past. Sure, he had done some stupid things in his lifetime but this way by far the stupidest. He slammed his fist against the wall with no regard for the gaping hole he left in its formerly smooth surface. A young blonde girl snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder for attention. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself directly interrupted by Kyou’s angry shout, “Get out.”

“Huh? But…”

“I SAID GET OUT YOU WHORE, YOU JUST RUINED MY LIFE!”

The young girl was frightened an confused at Kyou’s anger. She backed away slowly, retreating to the front door to avoid any further confrontation.

Tohru kept running far beyond reaching the outside of the house. She had nowhere to go so she let her feet take the lead. It wasn’t long before she arrived at a place she had thought she would never be again. Her feet had taken her to the very spot where she had lived alone in a tent not so many years ago.  There were countless memories in this place, some happy, others less so. This was the place where she had stayed for so long, alone save for a photograph of her mother as company. This was the place where she had been taken from her buried tent when she had been invited to stay with the Sohma’s; back then it had been planned as only a temporary arrangement. This was the place where she and Kyou had gone on the first night after the curse had been lifted from his family. This one the only place in the world that truly belonged to her, and even it had been tainted by the memory of his presence.

Tohru ambled a few steps further to lean on a sturdy tree. She looked down at her stomach, where she hadn’t realized her hands had found their way to resting.

“I guess this baby will never know it’s father” she commiserated almost inaudibly to herself. Despite having been anchored by the tree, she fell to the ground and wept; she finally allowed the tears she had held back for so long to flow freely down her crestfallen face.

 


	2. Of Compassionate Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tohru returns to the house and talks to Yuki. Yuki and Kyou fight over the predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to set this right here. I don't really have a song for this particular chapter but I was playing 'Both Sides of the Story' by We Are The In Crowd while I edited this so that one works.

The sun long since set, a chill had fallen in the night air. Tohru wiped her blurred eyes as she pulled herself up off the ground. There was no denying that she had to go back to the Sohma household. It had become her home; she had nowhere else to go. She certainly wasn’t ready to face Kyou, but there were plenty of others in the home who considered her family. She needed to talk to one of them about everything that had happened; perhaps talking though it would help her to sort out her thoughts. She certainly couldn’t handle it alone. Tohru sluggishly lumbered through the dirt floor of the woods she had come to know so well. She couldn’t believe how only a few hours had transformed her life from perfection to completely falling apart. The last thing she wanted was to acknowledge what had happened. She would have preferred to crawl into a dark hole and pretend she had never even met Kyou, but she knew that would be stupid. The short trip back to the house seemed far longer at her depressed pace.  Having realized that she ran out without her key, Tohru tapped lightly on the window before her in hopes that someone would let her in. In her distraught state it seemed more logical than the normalcy of entering through the front door from which she had departed.

Hardly a moment had passed before Yuki arrived; promptly opening the window upon realizing it was Tohru at the source of the pitter-patter.

“Miss. Honda, what are you doing outside?” He couldn’t help but notice her disheveled appearance and continued by questioning, “Are you alright? You look like you’ve been crying.” He grasped her by the shoulders to pull her through the window and into the warmth of his room; Helping her to steady herself as she stood quivering against the wall.

“I… I was hoping we could talk…” Her whisper was so timid that even Tohru wasn’t sure if her request had been audible.

“Sure Miss. Honda, what is it?” Yuki sat down on his bed and patted the spot next to him.

 Tohru understood his invitation and was thankful for a comfortable place to sit. She slumped down onto the firm mattress before continuing.  “I…I…It’s about Kyou…”

Yuki’s body went completely rigid at the mention of his cousin. He had never been a fan of Kyou and Tohru’s relationship; even before they had confirmed it to the family he had noticed signs and been dead set against it. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss it, but he couldn’t deny the desperation in Tohru’s eyes. There was no way he could let her down by refusing to hear her out when she needed it most. All he could do was try to calm down and listen to whatever it was she had to say.

Taking a deep breath, he replied, “I’m listening.”

“Well…you see…today—” Tohru had a hard time forming the words necessary to verbalize her thoughts. “w…whe…when I got home today…” She paused, her discomfort clearly evident as she second guessed whether or not it was truly necessary to share her experience.

“When you got home what? It’s ok, you can tell me anything.” Yuki remained calm in an effort to comfort Tohru.

“Well…Kyou… he was… with another girl.”  She somehow managed to complete her sentence before she completely dissolved into a pool of miserable sobs.

Yuki placed his arm gently around Tohru in an effort to calm her frayed nerves.  “There, there Miss. Honda, just because he had a friend over that you didn’t know doesn’t mean he’s cheating on you.”  He hadn’t meant it to bait her; he simply didn’t want to recognize that something so painful could have happened to naïve, innocent Tohru.

“They weren’t exactly playing DaiHinMin, I walked in on him literally on top of her!” Her sobbing was overtaken with frustration; the tears stopped and she just stared down at her hands.

“Miss. Honda I’m so sorry… the moment I see him I’ll—” Yuki found himself cut off before he could complete his thought.

“There’s more. That wasn’t the worst part.” She had yet to look up from her hands.

“There’s more?” What did that damn cat do to you?” Yuki did his best to maintain an outwardly calm demeanor.

“Well… you see… I had been getting ready to tell him that… that…” Tohru stopped short; she hadn’t planned on sharing this detail with anyone other than Kyou until they were both ready, not that it mattered now.

“It’s ok Miss Honda. No matter what you have to say, feel free to let it out. Talking about it may even make you feel better.”

Despite her hesitancy, she knew it was now or never, “ I was about to tell him that in a few months I’ll be having his baby.”

Silence fell over the room. It was as if time had frozen, stopped to allow time for Yuki to process the shock of what Tohru had just trusted him with. He had known that something serious must have happened to get her so upset, but he could never have been prepared to hear that.

Meanwhile, Kyou stopped in front of Yuki’s door in the hallway. He had no intention of opening up to him about what had happened today; but he did know that if he could convince Yuki to ask Tohru to talk to him, there was a good chance she would listen. Whether Kyou liked it or not, Tohru trusted Yuki, and after today was desperate for anyone who could help him get her to hear him out. Reaching for the doorknob, Kyou realized there were voices coming from the other side. Normally he would have barged in regardless, but knowing there was a chance it could be Tohru he decided to wait. He leaned against the door in an effort to listen in.

Yuki used the silence to try and absorb the situation at hand. How could he have let this happen? Why hadn’t he done something to intercept months ago? He had never approved of their relationship. If he had gotten to Tohru before Kyou she would never have been caught in this predicament. He would never have cheated on her and he certainly wouldn’t have knocked her up.  Feeling somewhat guilty, he felt it was his responsibility to break the silence.”

“So… you’re pregnant…” It wasn’t reassuring, but it was the only thing that came to his mind.

“Yeah…” she weakly confirmed.

On the other side of the door Kyou’s heart skipped a beat. Impossible. He couldn’t have heard correctly; there was just no way, this could not be happening.  Thinking he must have misheard, he decided to listen a little longer. He had to have heard that wrong—he just had to have, and he was going to determine what it was that actually said.

“How far along Miss. Honda?” It was obvious that it hadn’t been very long. She hadn’t begun to show yet; although thinking about it now Yuki did realize that she appeared somewhat puffier. Not quite manifesting a bump, but still having become somewhat rounded. He would have completely missed it if he didn’t know to pay attention.

“About six weeks I think? I didn’t want to tell him until I was sure but… He doesn’t want me, why should he want the baby either.”

Kyou couldn’t take any more; he had heard it confirmed and to make matters worse he had just heard Tohru doubt his desire for her. He grabbed the doorknob and swung it open with astonishing force. His eyes immediately focused on Tohru, “Did I hear what I think I just heard?”

“What do you care?! You’ve already ripped her heard out, do you really think you deserve any part in this?!” Yuki was furious at Kyou’s audacity.

“I do if it’s my kid!”

“You cannot be serious!” You cheated on her, and now you think she’s going to forgive you; you think she’s going to come running into your arms just because you’ve decided that you want to be a part of her baby’s life?” He was absolutely fuming; only resisting taking the argument to physical blows because he knew it would further upset Tohru. How dare Kyou even show his face after what he had done?

“People make mistakes Yuki, Tohru understands.”  Tohru showed no reaction; she hadn’t been able to breathe since the door had burst open. Her body was overcome with emotions that she wasn’t able to process.

“IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?!” Yuki became less and less able to control his anger at Kyou’s unapologetic blasé attitude.  “When she came to me crying like that… you should have seen the look on her face. It was as if you had just slapped her. YOU DON’T DESERVE A PART IN THIS BECAUSE YOUDON’T REALLY LOVE HER” They were both beyond angry at this point. This wasn’t just another fight between the two; this one was personal.

“How the hell would you know about my loving her or not?!”

“I would know because I do!”

Time stopped for a second time that evening. Yuki could only stand in shock at what his rage had caused him to admit, Kyou could only stand in shock at what he had just heard, and poor Tohru could only sit there and try to take it all in.  Yuki clapped his hand over his mouth; he had just spoken the one secret that he had sworn to himself never to reveal. He hadn’t meant to say it; it had just slipped out in the head of the moment. It was the honest truth; Tohru would eventually have had to find out, but this was a less than ideal way to go about it. The last thing she needed right now was someone adding even more stress to her life.

“Miss. Honda… I’m sorry, that was completely inappropriate.”

“Is it true?”

“What?”

“Did you mean it just now… when you said that you loved me?”

“Of course I meant it, I’ve always loved you! And I want you to know that Kyou doesn’t deserve you!”

Arisen from his stupor at the mention of his name, Kyou felt the need to defend himself against Yuki’s accusation. “Tohru! Don’t you see what Yuki is trying to do? He’s trying to make me mad so that I’ll say something hurtful and you’ll think that I don’t want you. I love you Tohru.”

“Don’t listen to him! Tohru, I love you completely and unconditionally with all of my heart, You just wants to be able to say that he has you. He never really loved you!”

At this point Tohru finally stood up from her seated position. Somewhat shaky, she looked back and forth at the two Sohma boys arguing before her until her eyes eventually settled on Kyou.

“What you did today… it felt like you tore out my heart and soul; you ripped them into a million pieces right in front of me. I wish I could say that it’s ok; to say that I’m ok and that we should just pretend none of this ever happened while we let life go on. But the reality is that it did happen; it is not ok and I am not ok.  Please don’t be mad at me.

She turned and walked the short distance over to where Yuki was standing. He wrapped his arms around her in a simple, heartfelt embrace; it was the best way he could think of to comfort her.

Kyou was speechless. Yeah, even he had to admit that he screwed up; but why should Tohru turn her back on everything they had to choose Yuki over him?”

“Tohru…”

“Shut up Kyou, can’t you see that she just wants you to go away?”

Tohru didn’t protest, leading Kyou to believe that she apparently must agree with Yuki’s statement. He stomped angrily out of the room. It didn’t matter where he was going , all that mattered was that he needed to leave Tohru alone for a while. He didn’t know where he was going for sure, but he knew that he wasn’t planning to come back.

Yuki held his warm embrace of Tohru for another moment before letting go. He picked up the emotionally drained girl and placed her on his bed; her room wasn’t far but her exhaustion was apparent and this seemed more considerate. “You’ve had a hard day Miss. Honda; you really should get some sleep.”

“Wait…” She pleaded softly, grabbing his hand as he started to walk away.  “Please don’t go…” He turned back around and looked into her beautiful eyes. He should have realized that she couldn’t handle being alone right now; she wasn’t ready after the trauma she had just experienced.

“Ok, I can stay with you for a few minutes, but getting some rest really will help you.” He laid down next to her and she immediately snuggled closer; allowing him to place his arms around her in another loving embrace.

“Thank you.” She whispered almost inaudibly and began to fade into sleep within Yuki’s comforting warmth.

“You’re welcome Miss. Honda.”

“Yuki?”

“Yes?”

“You really don’t need to call me Miss. Honda, please just call me Tohru.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello drama, hehe. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	3. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tohru makes a shocking revelation to Yuki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll let this chapter speak for itself.

Bright rays of morning sun shone brightly through Yuki’s window as he awoke. Memories of the previous night came flooding into his head the moment consciousness took hold. The whole situation was almost too much to think about, especially so early in the day. His eyes traveled to Tohru’s sleeping form. She still wore her school uniform, stained with dirt from her time in the woods, and appeared to be resting somewhat peacefully.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of her; was this really happening? Could she really be lying there next to him? The thought occurred that surely he would wake up any second now and realize that it had all been some twisted dream. Yuki reached over and began to gently stroke her hair. No, this was no dream, it was absolute reality.

Tohru’s heavy eyelids slowly lifted as she yawned, “Good morning.”

“Good morning Miss… Tohru.” He almost fell into his habit of calling her Miss. Honda, but corrected himself as per her request to use her first name. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” He continued stroking her hair, finding comfort in its silky texture between his fingers.

“Not at all, I guess I was just ready to wake up.” The smile that spread across her face reassured Yuki that her response was genuine before she added, “Thank you for allowing me to stay with you.”

“It was no problem at all; I’ll always be here when you need me.”  They spent several minutes lying quietly, happy to be enjoying the pleasant ambiance of such a beautiful morning.” Would you like to get some breakfast, Tohru?”

“Yes, please”

Yuki was the first to slide out of bed, which allowed him to assist Tohru in doing the same. She was still a little unsteady on her feet after all the stress of the previous evening. The walked down the hallway and into the kitchen with their hands laced together.

Upon entering the kitchen, Yuki directed Tohru to the table and pulled out a chair to help her get seated. “You stay right here, I’ll get you something.”

It wasn’t exactly a secret that Yuki never cooked; Tohru had prepared all of the Sohma meals for years. However, he felt that the lest he could do was find something that he could prepare for her on his own. He breathed a sigh of relief upon finding a box of cereal in the cabinet.

“Here you go, Tohru.” He poured her a bowl of cereal with just the right amount of milk. He also brought her a small glass of orange juice from the refrigerator before grabbing himself a glass of water and joining her at the table. Tohru began lifting the first spoonful to her mouth just as Shigure sauntered into the room.

“Good morning you two, what’s for breakfast today?”

“Whatever you can make yourself” Yuki replied shortly at the unwelcome intrusion on his quiet breakfast with Tohru.

“Well that was rude Yuki! Besides, I was asking her; you should really let her speak for herself.” It wasn’t until now that Shigure got a good look at Tohru. Seeing her in detail, it was obvious that something was amiss. “Tohru-chan, are you alright? You look like you’ve been run over by a truck! Does this have anything to do with Kyou running off this morning?”

The mention of Kyou’s name caused a palpable shift in the mood of the kitchen. Tohru stared awkwardly into her cereal; her meal having apparently become a fantastic piece of artwork that grew ever more fascinating with each stir of her spoon. Yuki excused himself from the table.”  to confront Shigure’s mistake in a way that would be least upsetting to Tohru.

“You, me, living room, now.” He muttered through gritted teeth as he essentially dragged Shigure out by his shirt.

“Yuki, what’s going on?”

“Don’t mention Kyou around Tohru!”

“Why not? Did something happen?” Shigure had been fully aware of their relationship and was confused as to why Kyou’s name had suddenly become taboo.

“How could you possibly have not heard everything that went on last night?”

Shigure shrugged, “I was out late taking care of some things I had to do. What did I miss?”

Yuki broke down the recent events for Shigure, explaining everything that had happened to the best of his ability. Hearing the explanation brought him a complete understanding of why his mention of Kyou had caused such a dramatic reaction. It was no small wonder that Tohru hadn’t broken down crying at the table.

“Sounds like she had a hard day.”  It wasn’t much, but it was a lot to respond to.

“That is the understatement of the century.”

“What’s she going to do?” His voice was full of concern.

“Get through the next nine months one day at a time I guess. We’ll be here to help her.”

“I would never have thought this could happen under my own roof… it’s almost like something on television!”

Yuki scowled at his seeming excitement, “Don’t compare her problems to those of fictional people. This isn’t one of those problems you can solve in 30 minutes or less.”

“Sorry, sorry… well we should probably go back to the kitchen. I bet she’s wondering where we are right about now.”

“Yeah, come on.”

By the time they arrived back in the kitchen Tohru had already finished her breakfast, rinsed off her dishes, and sat back down at the table.  Her concentration on staring intently at the wall had been instantly broken by their entrance, causing her to rise from her seated position. It was obvious that they had been discussing her predicament when they had left the room. Not that she had herd any of their conversation, but the sympathetic smile on Shigure’s face that had overtaken his normal morning grin was a dead giveaway. She would’ve welcomed empathy, but there was no way he could understand how she felt; sympathy was likely the best she could expect.

“I should get going to school.” She started the short walk out to the hallway in an attempt to discover where she had tossed her schoolbag. She hadn’t even looked at any of her homework and her uniform was caked with dirt, but she felt too numb to be bothered.

“Um…Tohru, maybe it would be better if you stayed home for the day”. Shigure’s suggestion was well meant, but he wasn’t surprised when she protested.

“Whaaa? Oh, no, I couldn’t do that; what if I start falling behind? Besides, I’m completely fi—OW” before she was able to finish her sentence, Tohru tumbled head first into the wall. Apparently her feet had found her schoolbag before  her eyes had been able to. “Well… maybe one day couldn’t hurt.”

“Glad to hear it, you stay home and relax.” Pleased with her concession, Shigure shifted his attention towards Yuki, “You should probably stay with her. We wouldn’t want her to be stuck here alone all day.” And before either of them had the opportunity to protest, Shigure had already skipped out the door in pursuit of his unknown destination.

Tohru picked herself up from the carpet, seeming to wander without a clear destination as she stood up.

“Where are you going Tohru?”

“To change, if I’m not going to school, I might as well wash my uniform.” Her flat response was a strained attempt at her usual bright smile that became caught halfway through. It was obvious that she was trying to look happy. She couldn’t have realized how miserably she was failing at maintaining the façade.

While Tohru started towards her own room, Yuki pondered the thought that this most likely wasn’t really about her need to launder her school uniform. He took a deep breath; for the first time in a while he had no idea what he should do. He looked up and realized that in his absent minded musings, he had strolled in front of Tohru’s door. Not one to ignore his subconscious, he knocked tentatively on the wooden frame. “Tohru?”

“Yes?” Her voice was slight but audible through the closed door.

“How about we watch a movie on the couch?”

“Sure Yuki, that sounds like fun.” The door opened, revealing Tohru in an oversized blue t-shirt with matching shorts, carrying her soiled uniform folded in her arms. “I’ll just start the laundry first; wouldn’t want to forget about it.”

“I’ll take care of it Tohru, you can go ahead and sit down on the couch.”

The offer surprised Tohru, “I can do it. I don’t mind doing my chores. You’re already being so nice to stay home with me today.”

“Really, it’s no trouble. You should go ahead and relax.”

“Thank you. Are you sure it’s ok? Because I can go ahead and do it…”

“Don’t worry about it. You always do most of the housework. You deserve some help so that you can take a break every once in a while.”

A small, but genuine, smile crept across Tohru’s face. “Thank you.” She handed Yuki her uniform and went to go find a comfortable spot on the couch to wait.

Yuki gaped at the washing machine; it didn’t take him very long to realize that he had absolutely no idea how the contraption worked. There were buttons and knobs, all with different settings stamped across them.  And what exactly is fabric softener; fabric seemed like it should be soft to begin with.  He stared at the machine. It stared back. He continued to stare. The machines resolve didn’t waver as it returned the gesture. He blinked. It did not. The washer may have beaten him in a staring contest, but no way would he allow some machine to mess up his plans for the day.

It was fairly obvious that the clothes went inside of it. He lifted the top and placed the uniform inside; step one was officially accomplished. That wasn’t so bad. Next comes the soap… or is it the water? He wasn’t quite sure which should go first and elected to solve the problem by picking up a random bottle for a closer look. _Clorox: Colorsafe Bleach_ Isn’t that a bit of an oxymoron? Even he knew what bleach could do to colors. He put the bottle down and picked up the next one, this one simply reading _Tide_ in bi blue letters; not exactly the most descriptive. He looked at the back of the label; hoping somebody at the company may have thought to include directions for situations like this. He couldn’t possibly be the only person in the world who didn’t know how to do laundry… could he? After skimming the back, he was relieved to find that there were, in fact, directions and that the soap did go in before water. He filled the cap to the marked line and poured the blue liquid in with the clothes. Now came the real challenge: turning it on.

Everyone has their own ways of dealing with unfamiliar technology. Some people would press every button at once and trust the machine to make a decision. Others would throw something at it and hope the resulting impact would cause the water to start flowing. Others still would attack it with a jackhammer from the garage, but at the moment none of these options seemed to be an appropriate solution. He took a moment to look at the setting options. It appeared to be based on how sturdy the material was and what temperature the water should be. ‘Permanent press’ sounded too high and it would definitely need more of a wash than an setting called ‘delicate’ could offer. He elected to go with the option of ‘medium’ and a water temperature of warm. Since he wasn’t sure if hot or cold was better, the middle ground seemed to be the safest option. He closed the machine and allowed it to begin running as he left for the living room. He had no doubt that what he just experienced must have been the best first attempt at laundry in history.

Admittedly, Tohru had started to wonder why it was taking so long to start a simple load of laundry; but this wasn’t something she would ever admit. Eventually, Yuki did appear in the living room. He sat down on the soft couch next to Tohru. “What would you like to watch?”

“I don’t know… I’m not even really sure what comes on during the school day.”

Yuki couldn’t help but laugh a little. The television is pretty much the same no matter what time you turn it on. It’s 800 channels of nothing good to watch because all of the good movies were always on PayPerView.  “How about we just flip through the channels until we find something interesting?”

“Alrighty, that sounds good to me.”

After almost half an hour of channel surfing, Tohru and Yuki had begun to understand the near limitless potential of boring daytime television shows. The highlights of the list had been the beginning of a _‘How to Make Everything You’ll Ever Need out of Pinecones’, ‘The Life of Salmon: A Documentary’,_ and some random Soap Opera that seemed to be in French.  Tohru gave up on the remote and just left it on the Soap Opera. Neither of them could understand a word, but at least it provided some background noise. She balanced the remote carefully on the back of the couch. “Yuki?”

“Yes?”

“Do you reall think it’s ok that I’m missing school today?”

“Of course it’s ok. Everyone is entitled to a sick day every once in a while.”

“People are also entitled to the occasional mental health day.”

“A what?”

“It’s when you just really need a day off.”

Tohru couldn’t help but laugh at his explanation. It felt nice to laugh. “Sorry you have to stay home with me.”  

“It’s no trouble at all. Besides, if I’d gone to school and left you here, I would’ve been worried about you all day. I wouldn’t have gotten anything done.”

Silence hung in the air while Tohru formulated a response.

“Do you think I’m a bad person?”

Yuki could hear the genuine worry in her voice. “Of course not! Why would I ever think you were a bad person?”

Tohru couldn’t bring herself to answer. She just sort of looked down at her stomach and back up at Yuki. He understood her unspoken statement and looked at her wearing a serious expression. “Just because you’re having a baby doesn’t make you a bad person.”

“But… I’m not married. At this point I don’t even know where the father is!”

It didn’t surprise Yuki at all that she wouldn’t say Kyou’s name. No, it wasn’t that she wouldn’t; she simply couldn’t. “Everybody makes mistakes.”

“Most people have a choice.”

Tohru’s cryptic mumbling piqued Yuki’s attention.

“What do you mean Tohru?”

“Well… you see… it’s sort of like…” she took a deep breath, “Ok. Let me start by saying that I really was in love with Kyou. At least I thought I was. Every moment we spent together was special. I just wasn’t ready to… well… you know…”

Yuki nodded, signaling that it was ok for her to continue.

“Even back that first night after the cure was lifted, he’d wanted to. He took me out to the woods; the starts were so beautiful… anyways, I’d told him I wasn’t ready. I thought he had accepted it until a couple months ago.” She quieted herself, taking her time with processing her statement. “Well… we were in his room, just talking, when suddenly he kisses me, harder than usual. I was really surprised because it kind of hurt and then… well… he pushed me.” Long withheld tears began flowing freely down her face. “I asked him to stop, but he didn’t listen…” Her eyes turned to Yuki’s, full of distress, “you have to believe me, I told him no!”

Tohru finally gave in to all the emotion she had been holding in. Yuki held her in a tight embrace, allowing her to sob all of her problems into his chest. Suddenly everything made sense. That’s why she had seemed so off lightly. That was why she had wanted to be by herself more often. Most importantly, that completely explained why she had been so hesitant to tell Kyou about her pregnancy.

“It’s ok Tohru.” He began toying with her hair, finding them placed perfectly to do so within their embrace. “He isn’t going to hurt you again. You could even have him arrested if you want to.”

Tohru sniffled through her tears, “No… I couldn’t do that.”

It was times like this when Yuki thought it might be possible for a person to be too forgiving. “Tohru, what he did to you was wrong. It’s not fair that you should have to suffer for it while he runs free somewhere.”

“No, I don’t want people to know. Besides, we have no idea where he ran off to.”

She had a valid point. They had no idea where Kyou had run off to; only knowing for sure that he had left. Changes were pretty good that he wouldn’t be coming around any time soon.

“Please promise that you won’t tell anybody.”

Not telling anybody went against everything Yuki knew was right. But telling somebody would shatter Tohru’s trust; that would make him no better than Kyou.

He pressed his lips affectionately to the crown of her head, “I promise.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Na na na na na na na na na na na na PLOT TWIST~   
> I should be sorry... but.... hehe, well, I'll see you next chapter.


	4. That Damn Pumpkin Muffin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit of fluff to off-set the angst. Everybody loves a good muffin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

Tohru yawned as what had to be the millionth soap opera episode finally drew to a close. Prolonged exposure had not converted the French into something understandable; however it had lulled her into a pleasant nap. She carefully removed her head from Yuki’s shoulder. She wasn’t sure how long either of them had been asleep and didn’t want to wake up. Tohru lifted herself off the couch and made her way towards the kitchen in search of a snack. Not just any snack, but a muffin; particularly, a pumpkin muffin.

First she checked over the counter. Yesterday there had been a full tray of assorted muffins left out for breakfast, but unfortunately they had long since become an empty tray of assorted crumbs. No problem, there were plenty of other options in the well-stocked kitchen. She began rifling through the various cabinets in pursuit of the necessary ingredients: sugar, flour, eggs, and the like. Tohru had made muffins plenty of times, they weren’t exactly complicated cuisine. Then again, when making a certain flavor of muffin it is necessary to have some form of flavoring ingredient. She searched high and low, in every cabinet, nook, and cranny. Gingerbread, apple-cinnamon, blueberry; the list of taste options in the pantry were endless… with one notable exception. There was no pumpkin anywhere to be found. This was extremely disappointing. Not to mention the fact that its lack of availability made the illusive pumpkin muffin more mouthwateringly delectable by the second. Tohru had to eat one, and it had to be right then.

Upon awakening, Yuki was surprised to find himself alone on the couch. He reached for the remote to turn off the long ignored television and heard shuffling from the kitchen. Following the increasing noise levels, he found Tohru in the midst of her frantic cabinetry search. There seemed to be baking ingredients on the kitchen table, but the assortment of random food items that had been tossed about made it impossible to determine what she was actually intending to use.

“Are you looking for something, Tohru?” He was genuinely curious was ingredient would inspire her to tear the kitchen apart. She had managed to keep it organized for years; the kitchen hadn’t been in such disarray since her arrival.

Tohru gave her reply of “pumpkin” without ever looking away from the cupboard.

“Pumpkin?” Yuki repeated her response to ensure he had heard correctly.

“Yes…I really want to make pumpkin muffins but I think we’re completely out.” She sunk into a seated position on the floor, looking completely defeated as she wracked her brain for somewhere she may not have searched yet.

“If we’re out then I suppose we should go to the convenience store and buy some more.”

“Oh, no, I don’t want you to have to go out on my account. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“On the contrary, nothing would make me happier than seeing you with a nice warm pumpkin muffin.

Tohru smiled at the offer, “Thank you, Yuki.”

“No problem, now come on, let’s go get you some pumpkin.”

After tossing the eggs back into the refrigerator and hastily pulling on some shoes, it was only a short walk to SnackMart. Yuki and Tohru walked through the automatic doors into the florescent lights of the small corner store. Tohru knew exactly which aisle to pursue; the small foods section in aisle 5. This was where she always found ingredients for last minutes desserts. For a small store, the SnackMart sure kept an impressive stock of flavorings and fillings. She stopped in front of a poorly decorated cardboard cake display and began her search.

“Yuki, I think they’re all out too” she whimpered with disappointment.

“You keep looking. I’ll go ask if maybe they have some in the back.” Yuki left Tohru to continue her quest and headed to the registers for assistance. A board looking teenager behind the counter flipped through a magazine.

“Excuse me miss, do you have any pumpkin in stock?” Yuki inquired politely.

The girl slapped her magazine down on the counter and loudly popped her gum. “I don’t know. Why should I care? As soon as I get my next paycheck I’m leaving this stupid job.”  Apparently customer service wasn’t her strong point.

Yuki took a deep breath, determine to maintain his composure. “Look, I know it doesn’t affect you in  any way but this is really important.”

“What could possibly be so important about a stupid can of pumpkin?”

This was one of those questions that could be really simple if only life wasn’t so complicated. What exactly could he say? _The girl I’m love with, who my brother knocked up but then cheated on so no I think she loves me but I’m not sure, is really craving pumpkin muffins to the point where she was tearing apart our kitchen looking for the ingredients to bake them and is probably treating your hideous card board display in a similar fashion, so unless you want this entire store to look like a dessert hurricane ran through it I suggest you help us out?_ No. Somehow this didn’t seem like the time or the place for brutal honesty. This sales associate was frustrating, but she wasn’t worth becoming angry. “Actually, don’t worry about it. Thanks.”

“Whatever,” the sales girl muttered in flippant disregard. She picked up her magazine without a care about having just lost a customer.

Yuki returned to the snack aisle; he was in no way surprised when he found Tohru at the same display rack where he had left her. She continued to search in the vain hope that she had simply missed the pumpkin the last seventy-three times she had searched.  He placed a hand on Tohru’s shoulder to get her attention. “Tohru-chan, they’re out of pumpkin here. How about we try somewhere else?”

“Are you sure Yuki? I mean, I feel bad causing all this trouble…”

“I’ve told you Tohru, it’s no trouble at all.”

“Do you think we’ll be able to find it anywhere? It’s pretty rare outside of October and November.”

“If there’s any for sale in this city, I’ll make sure that we find it for you.”

Tohru’s entire face lit up. Yuki was being incredibly nice to her and she had no idea how to thank him besides her usual gratitude. “Thank you!”

“They left SnackMart and made their way across the street to the nearest bus stop. There were tons of corner shops and grocery stores in the city; somebody had to be selling pumpkin outside of its general seasonal availability.

* * *

 

Heading home empty handed after combing through three SnackMart’s, four baking specialty shops, and at least seven grocery stores, had not been easy. Neither Tohru nor Yuki wanted to admit defeat, but the sun had long since set and it was beginning to get late. Yuki flopped down on the couch in defeat. “I’m so sorry we couldn’t find any, Tohru.”

“It’s ok. We did our best. It was really nice of you to take me to all those places to look.”

Yuki couldn’t help but laugh. The idea of going to so many stores to look for one item was more than a little ridiculous. “Who knows, maybe one of the stores will restock tomorrow.”

Suddenly the front door burst open and a wildly excited Shigure skipped in. “Hey you guys! You’ll never guess what happened today; I was walking down the street and there was this bakery going out of business so they were selling everything at half price! Well, the point is, I brought home enough muffins to take care of breakfast for weeks!”

Tohru saw the gigantic pile of white cardboard boxes synonymous with deliciousness and immediately began to rummage through them. It took quite a bit of searching, but eventually she spotted it. In the very last box rested a dozen fresh, warm, and best of all giant, pumpkin muffins. She grabbed the entire box under one arm and used the other to hastily hug Shigure.  “Thank you Shigure-sama!” She ran to the living room with the box and started eating the first one.

It took Yuki a moment to fully register what had just occurred. Having spent the better part of the day searching for something Shigure just happened to arrive with, he couldn’t help but wonder how that had happened. “How did you find pumpkin muffins?”

“Like I said, the bakery was going out of business; it was really just luck. Why do you ask?”

Yuki didn’t know how to respond. The last thing he felt like doing was sharing his story of defeat. Instead, he chose to answer by picking up a blueberry crunch muffin from the nearest box. He tossed it intentionally at Shigure, who retaliated with an apple strudel. They continued their vast display of maturity with a short muffin fight. The day ended as happily for them as it had for Tohru. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am using this to procrastinate on other fics... whoops. Oh well, soon this will catch up with what I've already written and that won't work anymore. Feel free to hit up up on Tumblr (DiaryOfABrokenDoll).


	5. Little white Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuki and Tohru go back to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Life happened and messed up my update schedule. I'm sorry, I'm scum, but I love you if you're still reading this <3

An insufferable beeping from Tohru’s alarm clock signaled the time reaching 7:00am. Knowing she shouldn’t miss a second day of school, she rolled out of bed in a drowsy haze to get dressed. Monday had finally arrived; this particular Monday held the possibility of the return of some form of normalcy.  She opened the closet door to retrieve her freshly laundered uniform from its hanger.

Tohru’s optimistic feeling screeched to a halt as she reached to fasten the familiar blue skirt.  When the button didn’t immediately attach, she concluded that her hand must have slipped; there is no way something that had fit on Thursday could be too tight on Monday. With a determined breath, she tugged the taught fabric. Unable to successfully fasten her skirt, she began to inwardly panic.

_“Oh no. . . What am I going to do? I have to have a uniform; I’ll get in trouble if I wear regular clothes to school. They’ll send me home and I’ll miss another day! Why did I get this tailored? I knew I should’ve left it loose!”_ The swirling anxiety made it difficult to focus on finding a solution. Desperate, Tohru swiftly pulled the accompanying white top over her head, ensuring that she was decent to run out into the hallway. She had never been so thankful for a somewhat loose fitting shirt; one problematic article of clothing was plenty. Clutching the skirt around her hips, Tohru dashed out the door towards Yuki’s room down the hall.

“Yuki!” She squeaked through his door in a tone of sheer panic.

“What is it, Tohru?” His response was calm, opening the door just as the distressed Tohru wandered in.

“It doesn’t fit!” She tilted her head down towards the material she still held around her waist.

“Wait a minute. What is going on?” Noting the way Tohru clutched her skirt, it appeared to fit decently enough.

“I can’t get my uniform to fit! The skirt won’t button because it’s too tight! I won’t be able to go to school without a uniform! What am I gonna do?!” Tears formed at the edges of her eyes, threatening to fall at the slightest provocation.

“It’s ok, just calm down. You had it on last Thursday; I’m sure we can get it to fit today.” Despite his best attempt to be soothing, Yuki could tell that his words had no useful effect.

“I’ve already been trying.”

“I’ve got an idea; hold your breath.”

Tohru looked confused, unsure of how that could possibly be of any use, “huh?”

“When you hold your breath, your diaphragm contracts and your waist is at its smallest. If it’s going to fit, that is the best chance.”

Tohru exhaled desperately and held her breath. Yuki fastened the buttons and she let out her breath in a sigh of relief.

“See, I told you we could do it.”  Yuki allowed his hands to linger on Tohru’s hips, noting her delicate curves through the pleating of her skirt.

“Thank  you so much, Yuki! But. . . ” Tohru paused; she vaguely noticed Yuki’s hands caressing her, but the gravity of her situation was hitting too hard for her to interpret his actions. “What if this doesn’t work tomorrow?”

“We can always get you a new one, Tohru. You’re going to be growing, but that’s ok. Making sure that your uniform fits is a small matter.” His hands wondered lower to innocently fiddle with the lower hem of her aforementioned skirt.

“Thank you so much.” Tohru was overcome with gratitude. His simple words provided the reassurance she required; his assurance was a promise that at least one part of her life wasn’t crumbling around her.

“So. . . ” Yuki drew his hands back, away from Tohru, before completing his thought, “ are you almost ready to get going?”

“Yeah, we probably shouldn’t be late, especially after skipping Friday.”

Yuki held open the door for Tohru to lead them down the hallway.  Their schoolbags had been left on the kitchen table, which made it quick for them to grab their bags, and a muffin to go, en route to the door.  Outside, the calm demeanor from within the house was completely dissolved. The walk was abnormally silent; neither knew what to say in order to diffuse the unusually awkward tension hanging above their heads.

“So. . . ” Yuki broke the silence with introductory small talk.

Tohru’s short response of “Yeah” did little to squelch the uneasiness.

“The weather sure is nice today, isn’t it?” Yuki hadn’t actually taken notice of the weather until after his sorely mistaken statement. He looked up at the ominous rainclouds looming above before shifting his focus to the ground and correcting himself, “Well. . . maybe not.”

His uncomfortable ramblings elicited a slight giggle from Tohru. Silence fell back upon them as they approached a busy street. Cars passed by in a blur of speed and color, until the crosswalk signal finally signaled for pedestrians to cross. By the time they approached the halfway point to their destination, their only conversation had been the pathetic exchange about the not-so-nice weather. As they slowly inched closer and closer to their school, it was Tohru who finally managed to break the silence with something noteworthy.  “I’m sorry.”

Yuki was taken aback at Tohru’s seemingly unsolicited apology, “Huh? What are you talking about?”

“I know this must be weird for you. I mean. . . “ Tohru twisted her hands in embarrassed frustration, “it’s obvious why things between us are kind of awkward.”

Yuki stopped in his tracks, looking at Tohru with serious eyes. “No, Tohru. This is not your fault.”

“But it IS my fault, Yuki! I’m completely responsible for being an idiot.”  Tears gleamed in Tohru’s eyes for a second time that morning.

Unsure of how to comfort her, Yuki wrapped his arms around Tohru in a consoling embrace. “It’s not your fault, Tohru. You know that. Sure, things are a little weird right now, but everything is going to be fine.”

Tohru was surprised at the sudden contact, but after registering Yuki’s kind words, she returned the hug with what little energy she could muster. “What if someone finds out?”

“They won’t.”

“But what if they do?”

“Only two people in the entire school know: you and me. You know that I won’t tell anybody, and you aren’t showing enough for anyone to guess.”

“Are you sure?” Tohru’s arms fell to her sides as their embrace broke, allowing their trek to campus to resume. “I mean, I’m already having a hard time fitting into my uniform. Somebody is bound to notice.”

“Lots of girls wear their uniforms tight; nobody is going to notice. If they do, they’ll just think you had it tailored for a new style.”

Their conversation was cut short as they approached the front gate, “Thanks, Yuki. I feel a lot better knowing you’re here for me.”

Before Yuki could respond properly, they heard a bell in the distance, signaling the start of classes. He settled for, “I’ll always be here. See you later”, as they each headed off in the directions of their separate classes.

* * *

 

“Miss. Honda, you’re late”, the teacher pointed out her tardiness as soon as she crept into the classroom.

“I’m very sorry sensei, it won’t happen again!” Tohru continued to mumble apologies until she was safely seated in her desk. The lesson resumed and a note almost immediately appeared on her desk; a discreet message from her concerned friends.

_Where were you on Friday?_

_We were worried when you weren’t here and hadn’t called._

_Is everything ok?_

_— Hana-chan & Uo-chan_

Of course, Tohru wanted nothing more than to be completely honest with her best friends. Unfortunately, she couldn’t bring herself to tell them just yet; she certainly couldn’t break the news in a note passed through the classroom. The truth would have to wait.

_Something came up so I had to stay home._

_Sorry to worry you!_

_-Tohru_

Nothing in her note was a lie. There was very little in her note to be considered a truth or a lie, but the minimal scrawling at least acknowledged the very base fact of something having occurred.

The morning was a relatively slow droning of lessons that Tohru couldn’t concentrate on. She felt uneasy about her friends not knowing, but almost more so about having to ultimately tell them. When the lunch bell eventually tolled, it took every ounce of strength for Tohru to pull herself up and join her friends at the lunch table.

“He guys” Tohru masked her unsteady voice by making a production of opening her bento bag to reveal her onigiri and juice. Lunch may not have been fancy, but it was something normal to hold on to.

“Hey Tohru, glad you’re feeling better,” Uo-chan smiled.

“Hi Tohru,” Hana-chan starred at Tohru with a perplexed gaze. “Are you sure you’re alright? Your waves seem off today . . . different.”

“Oh, I’m fine! Probably just still recovering a bit!” Tohru knew her friends would see right through her, but she hoped they would understand and overlook it. Both Hanajima-san and Uotani-san has always been good at knowing when Tohru had a problem; this was the first time that it was more of a hindrance than a skill.

Silence fell over the table with everyone’s attention focused on their respective lunches. Tohru couldn’t take any further quiet, “I’ll be right back. I think I want water instead of a juice.”

Tohru’s thoughts centered on how she could get through the rest of the day, their supportive silence was unnerving. They always ate without much talk, saving the conversation for after they finished chewing. However, when you’re keeping secrets, every moment of silence rang in her ears as screaming accusations.

Wandering in thought, Tohru didn’t see the bag a student had carelessly left in the aisle.  The resulting tumble caused her to land flat on her face; pain shot through her body with an abrupt smack on the concrete floor. “Ouch.”

A voice called out from the cafeteria’s entrance. “Tohru! Are you alright?”

She recognized the voice instantly as Yuki. He scurried over to the fallen Tohru and helped her to a seated position. He crouched to the ground to communicate at eye level.

“Huh? Oh, well,” Tohru blushed, “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and I tripped over somebodies bag. What are you doing here? Don’t you have class now?” She swelled with embarrassment; this would be no big deal if it were just her friends around.

“We were supposed to have a substitute, but they never showed up, so I’ve got an extra free period today. I knew it was your lunch time and I wanted to check on how you were feeling.” When he was sure she was steady, Yuki helped Tohru to her feet.

Tohru regained her equilibrium by leaning on Yuki for support until she could stand properly on her own. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I’m such a klutz.”

“No need to apologize for being who you are. Please try to be more careful though. A hard fall could be dangerous.”  Yuki escorted Tohru back to her usual seat and greeted her friends, “Good afternoon Uo-chan, Hana-chan.”

“Hey Yuki,” Hana-chan wasn’t surprised by his presence.

Uo-chan was less convinced. “How did you get out of class? You don’t strike me as the type to ditch.” Her question was the result of thinking out loud, but she was genuinely curious.

“Sub didn’t show.” Yuki did his best to be his usual, nonchalant self.

Hana-chan redirected the conversation, “Tohru-chan, did you get your water?”

“That’s right. . . I was on my way to get water when I tripped.” Tohru pushed back her chair to stand, but found herself too dizzy; she fell back into her chair before completely leaving it.

“I’ll get it for you Tohru,” Yuki offered. He was off before she had time to protest.

Uo-chan looked at Tohru, “Are you sure that you’re ok?”

“I’m fine, really. Why wouldn’t I be.

Hana-chan’s voiced her concern, “You couldn’t even stand up just now. That is not exactly a good sign.”

“Really guys, I’m ok.”

Tohru was saved from having to respond by Yuki’s arrival.

He placed one arm around her shoulder in a warm embrace, and handed her a chilled bottle of water with his free hand.

“Thanks Yuki.” Tohru could feel the heat rushing to her face.

“I’ve got to head back before my next class, but if you want to go home, come get me any time.”

“Ok.”

Yuki further shocked Tohru with a quick peck on her cheek before leaving. “Bye, Tohru.”

Tohru gave an almost inaudible “Bye, Yuki”, without fully registering what had just occurred.

A wide-eyed Hana-chan

Couldn’t hold back from asking some of the questions this brought up; “Tohru-chan?”

“Yes?”

“Did something . . . happen last weekend?”

“No. . . “ Tohru started; mentally justifying her white lie because it had technically occurred last Thursday.

“Are you sure?” Uo-chan pressed.

“Really, I’m sure.”

“We’re just worried about you.”

“I know. . . I’m sorry to worry you guys, really, I am. It’s just that. . .” Before Tohru could finish her sentence, she was overcome by a strong wave of nausea.  She sprinted to the closest trashcan before vomiting her guts out.

“Tohru!”

“I knew she was feeling sick. Come on, Hana-chan, let’s get her to the nurse.”

Her friends walked her to the nurses office, ignoring her insistence of being fine. Inside, the nurse directed Tohru to a bed where she could lay down, and immediately shooed away the girls accompanying her.

“Do you think she’s really alright, Hana-chan?”

“I don’t know. There’s something she isn’t telling us; her waves are really strange and something is obviously not alright.”

“We should ask Yuki. He has to be involved in some way; did you see that?!”

“Yeah, I know. Plus, I know for a fact that his class didn’t have a sub today. If Yuki was ditching class to check on Tohru, something is definitely wrong.

“Do you think he’ll tell us?”

Probably not, especially if Tohru asked him not to, but it’s the only plan we’ve got right now. It’s worth a shot.

There was still about fifteen minutes left of their lunch hour; plenty of time for a bit of impromptu questioning.  The challenge would be tacking down Yuki. He might have gone back to class, but he could also be waiting for the next class period to avoid drawing attention to having ditched.  The best option seemed to be splitting up.

With only five minutes remaining until the next bell, Uo-chan began to doubt that she would ever find Yuki. Luckily for her, it’s always easier to find someone after you stop looking for them. She spotted him out of the corner of her eye, camping out with a book in the library.

“Hey, Yuki?”

He jumped in surprise at the greeting; “Oh, hello, Uo-chan. Can I help you?”

The librarian SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-ed them loudly, so they lowered their voices before continueing.

“Actually, yes. I’m really worried about Tohru-chan.”

“Oh, um, really?” He stiffened nervously.

“Yeah, you see, I think something must have happened over the weekend that she’s not telling us about.”

“She had the flu.”

“This morning, she told me it was just a cold.”

Yuki knew he was caught. He sighed deeply, “Uo-chan, I’m sorry, but I really can’t tell you what happened.”

“So there was something?”

“Yes, but I promised that I wouldn’t tell anybody. She’s the one who has to say something when she’s ready.”

“Do you think she’s going to?”

I know she will eventually. She just isn’t quite ready.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Can I really convince you that you shouldn’t?”

“Point taken.”

“I know she’ll talk to you when she’s ready, but she has a log going on right now, so it may not be right away.”

The bell tolled, signaling Uo-chan that it was time to run to class. “Shoot, I’m going to be late. Thanks for talking to me, Yuki-kun. Oh, Tohru’s in the nurse’s office; you might want to check on her.”

With that, they both ran in their separate directions. 


	6. Breakdowns and Babybumps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sexual tension between Tohru and Kyou intensifies. Yuki must make a difficult decision with Tohru's best interest in mind.

Yuki sprinted out of the library in pursuit of the nurse’s office.  Few students occupied the hallway, allowing him to make his way across campus with relative ease.  The recent bell had signaled the second class he had ditched today, but he pushed that thought to the back of his mind; his concern for Tohru’s wellbeing overtook every other idea. He needed to know she was alright. Upon reaching the nurses office, he stopped in front of the door to catch his breath. _‘If I just barrel in like a crazy person, I’ll get sent back to class. I need to calm down.’_  Several deep breaths later, he has managed to regain some semblance of composure, ‘ _Ok. Now, I’m ready.’_

The doorknob squeaked beneath Yuki’s tight grip as he pulled the door open. A student assistant fiddled with a Gameboy from a rolling chair which should have been occupied by the school nurse. _‘The student assistants are always so unprofessional.’_

“Excuse me; is there a Miss. Tohru Honda here?” Yuki gave his inquiry politely, causing the assistant to forget her Gameboy.

“Oh! Um. . .” She scanned one of the many documents strewn across the table, “Yes. Down the hall, second room on the right. If she’s sleeping, don’t wake her up.”

Yuki wordlessly followed the assistant’s directions. She hadn’t bothered to verify who he was; the idea that anybody could walk into the school at any time disturbed him. Generally, students were only left in charge for short periods of time, but the facts were no less troubling.

Fully awake, Tohru exclaimed “Yuki!” as he pulled aside the curtain to her resting area.

“Are you alright, Tohru? Uo-chan said that you were up here and I was worried.”  He paced across the room, suddenly aware of an overwhelming energy clouding his thoughts.

“I’m fine. She and Hana-chan brought me up here because they saw me throw up during lunch. But that’s just part of this whole thing, isn’t it?” Her calm mention of pregnancy symptoms surprised Yuki. He hadn’t expected her to bring it up during the school day.

Yuki settled on taking a seat next to Tohru. The cheap excuse for a cot was spacious, despite being a sorry excuse for a medical device in such an expensive school.  Hesitancy rang through his every word, “Listen Tohru, I know this is going to be hard no matter what, but don’t you think it might be easier if you told your friends?”

Tohru looked away from Yuki’s inquisition. “I want to tell them . . . but then they’ll tell me that I shouldn’t be in school. I can’t drop out; I have to graduate like my mother wanted me to!”

Concern reflected in Yuki’s eyes. “Tohru-chan, your friends would never tell you to drop out. They know how important graduation is to you.”

Tohru scooted closer to Yuki until their bodies touched, taking his arm and placing it around her to encourage a much needed hug. She waited until he tightened the embrace to reply, “I’m just really scared.”

Her admission hit home. Yuki attempted a reassuring squeeze, “Don’t be scared, Tohru. I’m here for you and everything will be ok.”

Tohru’s eyes glanced up into Yuki’s. She could see that he was just as scared as she was; looking back into her eyes, he was completely aware that she knew.

“No matter what happen, I’ll always be here for you.”

The space between their faces had become almost non-existent. An undeniable spark drew their lips together; neither party could determine who had initiated the kiss. Yuki slid his tongue sensually across Tohru’s bottom lip, eliciting a low moan as she parted her mouth.

“Ahem.”

They jumped apart as the student assistant materialized from behind the curtain with a stern expression. “Well, since it appears that Miss. Honda is feeling better, I think it would be best if you two went back to class.” Her eyes directed severe warning glares at each of them before emphasizing her serious tone with a final, “Now.”

Both Tohru and Yuki left the nurses office, stifling blushes and mortified laughter at their awkward situation. Conversation halted until they were safely out of earshot of all nurses’ office inhabitants.

“You should probably stay home for the rest of the afternoon. You had a rough day already, and the last thing you need is extra stress.”  

“I’ll only go home if you come with me.” Tohru wasn’t being defiant; she simply wasn’t ready to be alone. Going home unaccompanied would mean hours of solitude until the end of the school day, and that was out of the question.

An understanding smile crept over Yuki’s lips. “Of course, Tohru.”

Their hands intertwined as they began the short trip back to the cozy Sohma house in the woods. No words were necessary; that would require putting too much thought into their current position of walking hand in hand.

Yuki unlocked the front door and opened it for Tohru. She relaxed on the couch and Yuki disappeared into the kitchen. When he reappeared in the living, Yuki handed Tohru a small plate while setting a glass of water onto the small coffee table in front of her. “You never got the chance to eat your lunch, right?”

“Thank you, Yuki! That was really nice of you.”

“No need to thank me. You know I would do anything for you.”

Swallowing the bite she had just taken, Tohru returns the remaining onigiri to her plate and set it next to the water class before contemplatively inquiring, “anything?”

“Well, yeah . . . I mean—” Yuki’s eyes widened in astonishment as he was interrupted by Tohru’s lips crashing roughly against his. He can feel her entire body trembling when she straddles his lap. Yuki closes his eyes and wraps his arms around Tohru’s waist to pull her closer, relaxing into the kiss.

Tohru breaks the kiss to whisper in Yuki’s ear, “Then make love to me.”

Yuki pulled away, the weight of Tohru’s words, along with their current situation, crashed over his brain like a tidal wave.  “Wait . . . What?”

Tohru bit her lip, “you said that you would do anything for me; this is what I want.”

It took every ounce of self-control in Yuki’s body to turn away when Tohru rolled her hips over his and leaned in for a second kiss. “Tohru, hold on a second. Are you sure this is what you want?”

“What do you mean?” Tohru looked hurt at the rejection, “Don’t you want it too?”

A deep sigh escaped Yuki’s lips. “Tohru, I love you, I really do, but I don’t think we should rush into anything you aren’t ready for.”

Tohru disentangled herself from her position in Yuki’s lap to sit on the couch next to him.  “What do you mean by ‘not ready for’? Kyou thought I was ready, and then ran off when it didn’t go as planned. You wouldn’t do that to me. I know you’re different than he is. Yuki, you’re. . . “Frustrated tears streamed from Tohru’s eyes.

In the wake of Tohru’s outburst, Yuki finally understood what this was all about. She was hurting and in desperate need of comfort. He would do anything for her, but fulfilling this request seemed wrong under the circumstances. Both of them would regret it sooner or later. The better solution would be to follow through with what she would really want, even if it upsets her now. “Tohru, I know that you’re upset right now, but us having sex would not make it my baby. All it would do is make everything even more complicated than it already is.”

Tohru rested her head on Yuki’s shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her.  “I wish it was your baby.”

“Tohru, it doesn’t matter whose baby it is. I’ll still love it just the same.”

Relief washed over Tohru’s face at Yuki’s words. “Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

* * *

 

Yuki gently stroked Tohru’s hair, lulling her to sleep in her spot on his shoulder. As he watched her sleep in his arms, it was impossible for him to ignore the new development in their situation. _‘Why in the world did I just turn her down?’_

Carefully, so as to not disturb her nap, Yuki lifted her head from his shoulder and lowered her sleeping form on to the couch as he stood up. Once satisfied that Tohru was sound asleep, Yuki made his way to his bedroom. The door closed in response to Yuki’s head making forced contact with it from within the room.   _‘Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why am I such an idiot? I could have just had sex with Tohru, and I turned her down!’_

Repeatedly slamming his head against the wall had resulted in a painful throbbing sensation. Yuki rubbed his temples and laid down in the center of the floor; closing his eyes and facing the ceiling to think. _‘I know turning her down was the right thing to do, but would it really have been so wrong to have taken her, right there on the couch? Ok . . . maybe not right there on the couch; lots of people spend way too much time there, but still.’_

Yuki’s mind wandered tortuously through the realms of wright and wrong; a single unwelcome thought continuously reared its ugly head:   _‘Does the fact that I wanted to mean that I’m just like Kyou?’_

* * *

 

Tohru awoke alone on the couch with no recollection of Yuki having left. The sight of a partially eaten plate of onigiri spurs a flood of memories regarding the events leading up to her nap. She realizes that her actions probably caused Yuki quite a bit of distress, regardless of how gracefully he had handled it. Tohru pulled herself up off the couch and made the short trek to Yuki’s room

Yuki was completely lost in reverie when he was jarred by an unexpected knock on his door. A muffled voice called from the hallway, “Yuki? Is it ok if I come in?”

Yuki forced himself up from the carpet in order to open the door. On the other side stood a forlorn Tohru, staring at her feet to avoid eye contact.

“Thank you.”

“Huh?” Yuki was utterly confused about what she could possibly be thanking him for.  

“Thank you for stopping me.”

Yuki wasn’t sure how he was expected to respond. His actions were reaffirmed as having been in Tohru’s best interest; but everything still felt like a mess.

“Also, I’m sorry to have put you in that situation. I’m not sure what came over me, but you know that’s not who I am.”  Tohru’s apology was genuine, a fact apparent in her overall air of remorse.

“It’s ok, Tohru. You have a lot to deal with right now. It’s understandable that you might—”

“STOP BEING SO UNDERSTANDING! CAN’T YOU JUST GET MAD AT ME LIKE I DESERVE?”

Yuki was taken aback; so much for this conversation being easy. “Tohru, I’m not going to get mad at you for something that I don’t blame you for in the slightest.”

“But you should be blaming m—” Out of nowhere, Tohru stopped mid-sentence to clamp her hand over her mouth and run to the bathroom.

Yuki followed in concern, holding her hair back as she threw up.

“Thank you, Yuki.” Tohru gasped through the heaves, “I’m so sorry.”

It was at this moment that Yuki came to an important conclusion. _‘No; I’m not like Kyou, not in the least.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we're getting somewhere! Thank goodness for finally having some free time to write. Feel free to comment with your thoughts, or message me on Tumblr (DiaryOfABrokenDoll).


	7. Late Nights and Early Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shigure helps Tohru think through her school options. Yuki and Tohru's relationship continues to grow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the unexpected delay! I made the mistake of taking an accelerated class. The good news is it will be over in 3 weeks, the bad news is that it's had me swamped with work and tests; I've been left with very little time to write. Let's get on with the story, shall we?

Night faded into early morning while Tohru tossed and turned. Thoughts about the past week churned ceaselessly in her head; the mere idea of sleep had been long since forsaken as impossibility. _‘What am I going to do? I can’t keep lying to everybody.”_ Even Tohru’s naïve mind could not deny that Hana and Uo were suspicious of her sudden unexplained absences. Not to mention the obvious change in how she interacted with Yuki.

Anguished stares at the dark ceiling provided no answers to Tohru’s ever increasing dilemma. Ticking clock hands on the bedside table settled at 2:15am; Relief wasn’t any closer in the form of answers or rest. Having pulled aside her blankets, Tohru stepped out of her restless bed and into soft cotton slippers waiting below. With feet protected from the evening chill, Tohru opened her door and ambled languidly down the hallway.

Light emanating from the kitchen signaled Tohru she was not the houses only sleepless occupant. Shigure lounging against the dining table, large bowl in hand and a spoon halfway lodged in his mouth, is a welcome sight.

“Oh, Tohru.” He feigns surprise at her entry, having clearly heard her footsteps long before arrival. “Having trouble sleeping?”

“Yes. I thought maybe a snack would help.” Truthfully, Tohru wasn’t hungry in the slightest. But, she needed something to distract her exhausted mind.

Shigure swallowed another spoonful before addressing Tohru’s thought. “Well, if you want, feel free to grab yourself a spoon and help me finish this.”

Tohru examines the contents of Shigure’s bowl; its contents had been somewhat unclear from her distance. “Is that cookie dough?”

Shigure smiled, “Yes! It’s chocolate chip! Sure, most people would rather bake it into cookies, but it tastes so delicious this way that cooking away the dough seems a waste.”

Tohru didn’t bother to stifle her amused laughter, digging through the utensil drawer. Spoon in hand, Tohru pulled out a wooden dining chair. Being seated next to Shigure was prime real estate for reaching into the snack bowl with minimal effort.

“Rough day?” Shigure’s casual inquiry held a somewhat obvious answer.

Tohru chewed, “That would be an understatement,” between chocolate chip bites.

Genuine concern prompted, “Want to talk about it?”

Another larger dough chunk and a deep sigh preceded her carefully articulated response. “Well . . . it’s just . . . Hana-chan and Uo-chan are really worried about me; they can tell something is going on. Lying to them is really hard. I don’t want them to be worried about me, but I’m not ready to tell them everything just yet.”

Shigure acknowledged Tohru’s explanation with an attentive, “I see.”

“I’m afraid that when I tell them, they’ll think I’m a bad person.” Contemplation visibly weighs down her shoulders.

“Tohru, they’re your friends. Neither of them would ever think badly of you.” Shigure offered what little comfort he could with the truth.

Tohru gently set her spoon down on the table and swallowed a cookie dough bite remaining in her mouth. “Gure-san, should I drop out of high school?”

He thought carefully before responding with an ambiguous, “Do you want to?

Zero hesitation lead to Tohru’s response. ‘No. I want to finish for my mother, and I’m so close now.”

Shigure could not help but feel proud of Tohru for her resolve. He was not about to tell her that she had to finish school; but he was thrilled that she planned to regardless of circumstances. “Sounds like you’ve made your decision.”

“But I don’t know if I can do it. What will happen when I really start to show?” Tohru picked up her spoon and resumed eating nervous bites of delicious dough to calm her nerves. “They’ll probably kick me out.”

“I doubt it, that would be rather cruel, don’t you think? You’re doing a brave thing having that baby.” Shigure’s assertion differed from Tohru’s thoughts on the subject of administrative opinion.

“The administration won’t see it that way. They’ll think I’m some promiscuous slut who doesn’t deserve a high school diploma!” Her voice quaked at such a foul description of herself; an explanation she expected but did not believe as truth.

Shigure frowned; “Tohru, that’s absolutely terrible.”

“It’s true.” Her fears rang deep in two short words. The truth would not matter if she was kicked out of school by administrators who did not care about the circumstances of her situation.

Hearing Tohru’s honest lament broke Shigure’s heart. “No, it’s not. I believe that if you have your heart set on completing school, you should do it no matter what anybody says. However, if you really think the school will pressure you towards dropping out, it might be better to delay your graduation. You can take the rest of the year off and complete your work the following semester.”

Tohru’s eyes lit up at the prospect of a solution. Eliminating the threat of expulsion would at least solve one of the problems keeping her awake. “You can do that?”

“Yes. Few students take advantage of the option, but it is possible.” Shigure smiled when he could see Tohru beginning to relax.

“Hmmm . . . I hadn’t thought about that.” Completing high school was definitely a priority, but the timeline did not have to be set in stone.

“Don’t decide right now, take a week or two and think it over. If you decide that you want to take the rest of the year off, I’ll fill out your school paperwork. Just make sure that you are completely sure first.”  

Tohru put down her spoon, filled with cookie dough and gratitude. Thank you, Shigure. I feel a lot better now.”

“Glad I could help.”

By now, the bowl had been emptied of every morsel. They each stood up, pushed in their chairs, and clanked used spoons into the empty sink.

“You should get some sleep, Tohru-chan, don’t you have class tomorrow?”

“Yes, I do.” A yawn punctuates Tohru’s dire need for rest. “Goodnight, Gure-sama, and thanks again.”

En route to her own room, Tohru felt overwhelming compelled to stop at Yuki’s door. Part of her wanted desperately to creep in, but she knew that would wake Yuki. Awakening Yuki would only cause him to worry about why she was awake at 3am in his room. After a brief moment of indecision, Tohru’s rational thought wins out and she returns to her own room.

Chilled breeze permeated Tohru’s bedroom; the temperature seemed to have dropped significantly since her exit. Tohru’s attention shifted to the apparent cause; her window had been left partially open in the frigid night. _‘I could have sworn I left this closed’_ she thought to herself, migrating to correct the problem. It was then that something else caught her eye; a small white envelope labeled ‘ _Tohru’_ rested innocently atop her pillowcase. That had definitely not been there half an hour ago. She first lowered her window to seal off the draft. Then, Tohru sat on her bed where she picked up the unfamiliar envelope. Without a seal, the flap was easily pulled back to reveal a hand scrawled note. Blood ran cold in her veins when she immediately recognized the handwriting.

_Tohru-_

_I am such an idiot. I shouldn’t have run off_

_like that. I want to come back and be with_

_you, but only if you want me to. If you want_

_me too. If you are willing to talk to me please_

_meet me at our spot at 11:30am. Please give_

_me a chance to make this right._

_-Kyou_

Oxygen evaded Tohru’s lungs; she could not remember how to breathe. Kyou must be truly sorry if he’s willing to actually apologize. Then again, he did run off. And now he had snuck into her room when she should have been fast asleep. Her mind shifted to Yuki and all the things she had told him; the truths and convenient cover stories for uncomfortable details. A wave of nausea externalized tumultuous thoughts. Tohru had never been a liar, but she had chosen a hell of a time to pick up the habit.

_‘He can’t come back here. I have to talk to Kyou,’_ she resolved silently, ‘ _everything will work out in the end.’_ Note replaced in envelope, Tohru hid the document inside of a book in the back of her top dresser drawer. Having reluctantly chosen to accept this meeting, Tohru crawled bed and slept more deeply than she had in days.

 

* * *

 

“Tohru-chan, it’s time to wake up.”

“Huh?” Tohru’s eyes opened to Yuki standing beside her bed. He was already dressed in his school uniform, suggesting it was already much later than her normal wake up time.

“You slept through your alarm clock; it’s time to wake up.” Yuki’s soothing voice was pleasant to wake up to, but it did little to waylay Tohru’s exhaustion.

Tohru pulled a blanket above her closed eyes and rolled over to face the wall, intent on sleeping at least a little while longer.

“Come on, Tohru, you’ve only got half an hour.” Yuki’s requests were met with a noncommittal groan from a fatigued Tohru.

Yuki crept on to Tohru’s bed, settling his body in a seated position straddling her hips. He reached down and gently pulled Tohru’s blanket away from her face.

Tohru had not awoken enough to fully process everything happening around her; responding with a breathy plea of “just five more minutes?”

Yuki leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on Tohru’s lips. She whimpered in protest when he pulled back to speak. “Ok, five minutes.” He repositioned to roll off the bed until Tohru reached a determined arm towards him.

“Stay.”

Yuki smiled. “If I stay, you’ll end up late for school” He knew his subtle innuendo would go unnoticed in Tohru’s state of sleep deprivation.

Yawns encapsulated words; “No I won’t, because you’re already awake enough that you won’t fall asleep.”

The thought was tempting: lying next to Tohru until she felt rested, spending the day in bed with her, forgoing another day of school in pursuit of something more enjoyable. But no, he would have to control himself. Both of them had missed enough school in the past week.

“Alright, I won’t go anywhere.” Yuki set a quick alarm on his watch before cuddling against the sleeping girl.

Tohru closed her eyes to enjoy a few final moments of restful slumber. Yuki’s soothing presence relaxed her until his watch alarm beeped to signal her time had ended.

“Ok, Tohru, this time you really have to wake up.” Despite both of their preferences, time was of the essence. She had already slept so late that there would not be much time to prepare before they need to leave.

“Why?” Tohru knew the answer, but she inquired in a vain attempt to sneak an extra moment of rest.

“Because if you don’t I’ll have to go to school without you.” Yuki meant his reply as a joke, but Tohru did not find it humorous in the slightest.

“No, don’t leave me.” Pouting lips and downcast eyes expressed her genuine concern at the thought of being left alone.

Yuki sat up, feigning intention to leave. “Come on, sleepyhead. I’ll get you breakfast.”

Tohru sat up next to him. “How about we just sleep in?”

This would be much easier if Yuki did not honestly want to do exactly that. “We can’t be late for school when we just took two days off.”

“One and a half, technically.”

“If you’re awake enough for fractions, you’re awake enough to get dressed.”

Tohru did her best to disguise her giggle as a yawn. “It was a fluke. I’m really not awake at all.”

“Really?” Yuki arched his eyebrow suspiciously. “So if I got up and walked out of the room, you would be too asleep to notice?

In the time it took Yuki to verbalize his sarcasm, Tohru concocted a hasty plan in one final attempt to get her way. The words were hardly out of his mouth before Tohru had grabbed a fist full of Yuki’s shirt. She pulled him in with an eager kiss; her tongue begged his lips for entry, which he granted with a primal groan.

Yuki caught on immediately to Tohru’s intentions. It was early enough in the morning that his rational side was predominately in control. But that did not mean he could not indulge his fun side for a moment before being responsible.  Massaging Tohru’s tongue with his own, Yuki repositioned himself over Tohru’s hips. He rolled his body to affectionately lower Tohru down on the bed, directly below him. Tohru unfastened Yuki’s shirt with frisky haste, opening it completely to reveal his skin beneath. Yuki nipped playfully at Tohru’s tongue, eliciting a thrilling moan from her even as he broke the kiss. He tugged Tohru’s pajama top over her head and tossed it to the floor, taking advantage of the space created by their separation. He caressed her naked chest with tender reverence before pulling away completely; his lips curved into a smile as he sat up all the way. “Told you that you were awake. Now get ready.”

Tohru watched Yuki leave her room in open mouthed disbelief. She didn’t even notice if he had bothered to close his shirt before exiting; Tohru was simply shocked that Yuki had beaten her at her own idea. Shaking her head, Tohru pulled herself out of bed to prepare for the inevitable school day ahead. She pulled on her uniform, knowing by now how to make the tighter than ever garments fit. Remembering today’s meeting; she grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt from the closet and stuffed them into her open schoolbag on the floor. She could never get away with ditching school while in uniform. After forcing the zipper of her now overstuffed bag to close, she flung it over her shoulder and skipped off to breakfast.

Tohru arrived in the kitchen just as the toaster dinged to signal completion. Yuki arranged the toast onto a plate and placed it in front of Tohru’s usual seat. “Thank Yuki.”

“No problem, the toaster worked hard for you this morning.”

Tohru ate in a rush, without even bothering to spread jam on her hot toast. Once she finished the simple breakfast, Tohru deposited her plate in the sink and informed Yuki that she was ready to leave.

Their walk to school was relatively uneventful compared to previous days. Hand in hand, few words were spoken on the hurried trek to campus. Bells tolled upon their arrival at the school gate; classes would be starting but a few seconds of tardiness would be nothing to worry about. Yuki pulled Tohru in for a quick goodbye kiss before running off to his correct classroom; School PDA rules be damned.

Once Yuki had left, Tohru had a crucial decision to make. She could go to her classroom and hang out for a couple of hours before leaving; Although, this would present the problems of having to sneak away from not only the school staff but from her friends as well. The other option would be to leave now; but of course this left her with the dilemma of finding some way to occupy the extra hours of time. Without much time to consider, Tohru chose the latter option. She ran back out of the school gates and into an adjacent convenience store. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot is progressing~   
> I hope you enjoyed that. Let me know if anything is worded weirdly because, to be honest, it's almost 5 am and I haven't been to sleep yet. Feel free to leave comments or to randomly send me asks on Tumblr (DiaryOfABrokenDoll).   
> The next chapter should be up within a week since I am doing my best to get back on schedule.

**Author's Note:**

> The next few chapters will be posted quickly. I just have some restructuring and editing to take care of first. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think! You can also reach me on Tumblr any time (DiaryOfABrokenDoll). 
> 
> Also, the original concept for this story (chapter 1 specifically) was inspired by the Amy Dalley song 'I Would Cry'.


End file.
